Becomes One Hundred Stories #13: Bangs on Pots

Bangs on Pots

The table was long and wide. The table was long and wide and covered with food. The table was covered with food for the celebration of the new year.

The man sat at the table. The man sat at the table covered with food. The man sat at the table, but he did not eat.

The man waited.

The man waited for the others. The others were outside banging on pots and making much noise.

The man was hungry, but he did not eat. He sat at the table covered with food, and he did not eat.

The man waited for the others to come in from their banging on pots and making much noise so they could all eat together.

A boy entered. A young boy entered from outside.

The boy asked the man why he was not outside banging on pots and making much noise.

The man said it was still some hours until midnight.

The boy said his mother had told him to get the man and tell the man that he should come outside.

The man told the boy that the boy’s mother had already been inside and had already told him to go outside and he had already told her he would wait until midnight to bang pots and make much noise.

The boy asked the man if he would please give him a piece of meat from the table.

The man said no. The man said they would wait to eat until the others had finished banging on pots and making much noise.

The boy said the others would finish banging on pots and making much noise when the man joined them.

The man said he did not think so. He said the others would finish banging on pots and making much noise when they got tired of banging on pots and making much noise.

The boy took some bread from a plate on the table covered with food and he left the man. The boy left the man and went outside with the others to bang on pots and make much noise.

The man sat at the table that was long and wide and covered with food. He sat at the table and waited to eat. He was still hungry.

The man saw that it was still two hours until the new year. It was two hours until the new year, but the others were still outside banging on pots and making much noise.

The boy’s mother entered. She entered and asked the man why he was not outside banging on pots and making much noise.

The man said it was not yet midnight. He said it was still two hours before midnight.

The boy’s mother told the man he should not eat until the others joined.

The man said he hadn’t eaten anything. He said he was waiting for the others.

The boy’s mother said she could see someone had eaten some bread from the plate.

The man said he could see that too. He said he could see it but he hadn’t eaten it.

The boy’s mother said who else could it have been.

The man took a piece of bread from the plate and he took a bite.

The boy’s mother said the man should have the decency to wait for the others.

The man said he had. He said he had waited a decent time and he would still wait, but he would eat that piece of bread.

The boy’s mother began speaking, but the man put the piece of bread into her mouth. He put the bread into her mouth and she pulled away. She pulled away, but she had taken a bite of the bread. She began chewing the bread. She chewed the bread and looked into the man’s eyes.

The man looked away.

The boy’s mother touched the man’s arm.

The man said her husband was just outside.

The boy’s mother chewed her bread slowly. She chewed her bread and she touched the man’s arm.

The man rose. The man stood up from his seat next to the large and wide table covered with food. The man stood, and the boy’s mother remained standing.

The man said don’t. The man told the boy’s mother to go outside.

The boy’s mother chewed her bread and touched the man’s arm.

The man stepped toward the door. He stepped toward the door to go outside where the boy and the boy’s mother’s husband and the others were still banging on pots and making much noise.

The boy’s mother grabbed the man and pulled him toward her and kissed him hard on the lips.

The man tasted bread. The man tasted bread on the lips of the boy’s mother. He tasted bread, and he pulled away.

The man pulled away from the boy’s mother and said she better go out with the others.

Then the man saw the boy standing at the open door.

The man told the boy and the boy’s mother both to go out with the others. He told them to go out with the others until the others were finished banging on pots and making much noise.

The boy asked the man why he had kissed his mother.

The man said he had not kissed his mother.

The boy said he had seen him.

The man said he had seen the boy do something he was not supposed to do and did the boy want the man to tell the boy’s mother what he had done.

The boy looked at the plate of bread on the long and wide table, and he asked if he could have another piece.

The boy’s mother held the plate for the boy, and she said he could have as much as he wanted.

The man took a piece of meat from the table and he went outside. He went outside and watched the others bang on pots and make much noise.

The boy’s father saw the man eating the piece of meat, and he stopped banging his pot long enough to tell the man they were not supposed to eat. He said his wife had strict rules about eating before everyone was done banging on pots and making much noise.

The man said it seemed she wasn’t so strict about her rules after all.

The boy’s father said he was hungry.

The man said he should go in and eat.

The boy’s father went inside. He went inside and the boy came outside. The boy came outside chewing on a large piece of bread.

The boy did not look at the man.

The man watched the boy eat his bread, and he watched the others bang on pots and make much noise.

A half hour later, the others finished banging on pots and making much noise, and they all went inside. The others went in first, then the boy, and then the man.

The boy’s mother and the boy’s father had eaten half of the food on the large and wide table by the time the others and the boy and the man entered.

The boy’s mother and the boy’s father sat beside each other at one end of the table and ate their meal with the glee of small children.

The others sat at the large and wide table and began eating their fill.